With Pot Rules Relaxed, More U.S. Teens Driving While High: Study

(HealthDay News, December 30) About 50% of U.S. teens who use marijuana on a regular basis admit to driving while high, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. 

The reach these findings, researchers looked at data from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 

"Marijuana can impair cognitive abilities that are critical for safe driving," the study’s lead researcher Dr. Motao Zhu, an associate professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University College of Public Health said. "This is a serious issue that requires our attention." 

In recent years, many states passed laws to legalize medicinal or personal use of marijuana. Zhu believes that may be a contributing factor to the number of teens driving high. 

"Definitely, there's more availability of marijuana from legal channels," Zhu said. "Maybe teens feel marijuana isn't as harmful as they thought in the past." Read more.

Read the Study: Analysis of US Teen Driving After Using Marijuana, 2017